Perfectly timed for the upcoming DIY weekends (apparently May and June are the top months for DIY), paint and wallpaper company Little Greene has launched a much anticipated update of its colour cards. The updated palette is extensive.
It comprises 184 shades: 170 individual colours 14 of which are repeated in varying strengths as ‘Colour Scales’. The card spans over 300 years of historic interior design and includes many authentic 18th, 19th and 20th century shades, which are denoted by red icons identifying the era of their provenance.
These archive colours sit harmoniously alongside contemporary shades conceived to meet the requirements of 21st century living. As a result, the card, whilst duly respectful of period architecture, is also completely in tune with modern life and today’s interior design aesthetics.
The colour offer has been carefully refined to reflect current trends without compromising the integrity of Little Greene’s signature palette. In the words of Ruth Mottershead, Marketing Director: “Confident colour is absolutely central to Little Greene, and the updated paint chart reinforces this!"
The Colours of England card has been designed to meet a growing appetite for timeless colour that’s both easy to choose and a pleasure to live with, whilst much of the neutral space is occupied by the increased ‘Colour Scales’ offer”.
The 2017 colour card contains seven new colours, some from the Little Greene archive, (‘Mid Azure Green’, ‘Grey Stone’, ‘Pale Lupin’, ‘Middle Buff’, ‘Light Gold’ and ‘Pleat’), and a new stand-alone shade ‘Mortlake Yellow’ in one of this this year’s most on-trend tones.
In addition, 22 key colours will be imported from the recent Little Greene capsule collections of ‘Pink’ and ‘Blue’, like Confetti, shown below.
Two new families of diluted colours, ‘Aquamarine’ and ‘Dorchester Pink’, augment the ‘Colour Scales’ palette.
Ruth Mottershead continues: “The neutral trend for 2017 continues away from cream and beige towards grey tones so, to complement the new collection, we have retained the ever popular separate ‘Grey’ colour card. Offering a total spectrum of greys for all applications, we firmly believe ‘Grey’ is here to stay, due to its universal appeal and very useable shades.”
The new user-friendly colour chart is subtly arranged into two sections, one featuring more muted shades, the other stronger accent tones: to test this versatility, just try folding the card and see for yourself!
A further demonstration of the practicality of the colour card is its unique ‘flying chips’. These take the headache out of paint selection because, by folding the card away from the chip, the colour can be placed next to another shade or finish in the home or on the mood board, be it paint, wallpaper, fabric, wood, tile or stone.
Actually made from Little Greene’s Absolute Matt Emulsion, the flying chips are accurate representations of both colour and the supremely matt, chalky finish for which Little Greene is appreciated all over the world.
The new card benefits from a darker background which, combined with the ingenious ‘chips’, makes it even easier to visualize colours away from a bright white background. Comparisons are also easier to make when choosing between whites such as Shirting and Loft White in the new layout.
In keeping with Little Greene’s quality assurance, all shades on the ‘Colours of England’ colour card are available in the full range of paint finishes: traditional and modern, interior and exterior.
2017 also sees the introduction of another finish called Flat Oil Eggshell, which is flatter than a regular eggshell having just a 10% sheen level, making it the perfect partner for Little Greene’s renowned flat emulsion paints.
A durable and extremely sophisticated choice for interior woodwork, flat oil eggshell has superb application properties making it even easier to achieve a beautiful, colour-rich, long-lasting finish.
Our writers like to find the latest trends for fashion and interiors. We launched the award-winning Seasons in Colour in 2015 and the luxury property and interior decor blog www.alltheprettyhomes.com in 2024 to cover all your interior design, travel and lifestyle inspiration needs. Download our free bathroom renovation guide here.